Become a member of vava Inc.
The Voga Alla Veneta Association of South Australia Inc. is the first and currently the only Venetian rowing club in Australia.
After living in Treviso, Italy (just north of Venice) for nearly four years and discovering and practicing voga alla veneta for virtually that entire time as a member of a number of local clubs in Treviso and two in Venice itself, VAVA Inc. Founder Michael Piovesan decided to offer everyone in Australia the opportunity to learn and practice Venetian rowing as well.
Venetian rowing does, however, technically exist in Australia but in a very limited way. In Adelaide, South Australia, Venetian rowing is currently only conducted on the Torrens Lake by Adelaide Gondola, a private business providing joy rides to locals and tourists similar to the gondola services one finds in Venice, Italy. A Venetian gondola-like service also operates on the Yarra River in Melbourne and on the Brisbane River. Other than the gondolas used in Adelaide which are genuine Tramontin Venetian gondolas, the boats used in Melbourne and Brisbane are 'inspired' by the Venetian gondola (i.e. non-genuine and motorized) but, in all cases, members of the public are not given the opportunity to learn or practice Venetian rowing through either of these services. They just go for a romantic ride as passengers and imagine they're in Venice.
But now there exists a Venetian rowing club in Adelaide, South Australia, which offers anyone from 8 to 80+ the opportunity to learn and practice this unique form of rowing as a new fitness activity for personal recreation or as a social or sporting activity and maybe one day go to Venice and row with real Venetians.
LOCATIONS FOR ROWING
Soon our Venetian rowing club will see members rowing in rivers (e.g. The River Torrens and Torrens Lake, The Patawalonga, Onkaparinga as well as the Port, Murray and Goolwa Rivers) or any of the lakes and dams in South Australia that allow recreational boating including those at suburban West Lakes and the Coorong National Park rowing Venetian-style. Venetian-style boats are intended for use in protected waters and would never be used at sea as they are not suitable for that purpose due to their flat hulls. It is possible that boats could be rowed along the Adelaide metropolitan shoreline in the Gulf St. Vincent at low tide but never more than 100 meters from shore and only in calm waters. At all times, persons using boats for Venetian rowing would be required to wear life jackets similar to other recreational boat users according to local laws and regulations with the exception of West Lakes or the Torrens Lake where the use of life jackets is not compulsory.
TRAINING
Any person joining VAVA Inc. will be required to undergo a minimum of five (5) hours of instruction (included in the cost of membership) with a competent instructor always in the same vessel. The trainee/new member will initially learn the basic technique required for the bow or prua position (front position rowing with oar to the left or port side) and subsequently advance to the stern or poppa position (rear-most position rowing with oar to the right or starboard side) which requires additional skill to be able to steer the boat while rowing and to ultimately operate the boat solo if desired - a bit like a gondolier. At the rear (poppa) position the oar is used for both propulsion and serves as a rudder depending on the angle of the blade. After initial training in both these key positions, a person would be able to undertake further practice solo or with other rowers in crews of 2 or 4 rowers depending on the availability of suitable boats to accommodate those rowers. An even more advanced form of Venetian rowing involves a single rower using two oars simultaneously (crossed) called valesana.
MEMBERSHIP
For further information about membership fees, contact Michael on 0415 448 657 or email michangpiovesan@gmail.com.
DONATIONS TO VAVA Inc.
Any prospective member who makes a donation to VAVA Inc. through the Australian Sports Foundation will receive a corresponding discount on their membership fees.
After living in Treviso, Italy (just north of Venice) for nearly four years and discovering and practicing voga alla veneta for virtually that entire time as a member of a number of local clubs in Treviso and two in Venice itself, VAVA Inc. Founder Michael Piovesan decided to offer everyone in Australia the opportunity to learn and practice Venetian rowing as well.
Venetian rowing does, however, technically exist in Australia but in a very limited way. In Adelaide, South Australia, Venetian rowing is currently only conducted on the Torrens Lake by Adelaide Gondola, a private business providing joy rides to locals and tourists similar to the gondola services one finds in Venice, Italy. A Venetian gondola-like service also operates on the Yarra River in Melbourne and on the Brisbane River. Other than the gondolas used in Adelaide which are genuine Tramontin Venetian gondolas, the boats used in Melbourne and Brisbane are 'inspired' by the Venetian gondola (i.e. non-genuine and motorized) but, in all cases, members of the public are not given the opportunity to learn or practice Venetian rowing through either of these services. They just go for a romantic ride as passengers and imagine they're in Venice.
But now there exists a Venetian rowing club in Adelaide, South Australia, which offers anyone from 8 to 80+ the opportunity to learn and practice this unique form of rowing as a new fitness activity for personal recreation or as a social or sporting activity and maybe one day go to Venice and row with real Venetians.
LOCATIONS FOR ROWING
Soon our Venetian rowing club will see members rowing in rivers (e.g. The River Torrens and Torrens Lake, The Patawalonga, Onkaparinga as well as the Port, Murray and Goolwa Rivers) or any of the lakes and dams in South Australia that allow recreational boating including those at suburban West Lakes and the Coorong National Park rowing Venetian-style. Venetian-style boats are intended for use in protected waters and would never be used at sea as they are not suitable for that purpose due to their flat hulls. It is possible that boats could be rowed along the Adelaide metropolitan shoreline in the Gulf St. Vincent at low tide but never more than 100 meters from shore and only in calm waters. At all times, persons using boats for Venetian rowing would be required to wear life jackets similar to other recreational boat users according to local laws and regulations with the exception of West Lakes or the Torrens Lake where the use of life jackets is not compulsory.
TRAINING
Any person joining VAVA Inc. will be required to undergo a minimum of five (5) hours of instruction (included in the cost of membership) with a competent instructor always in the same vessel. The trainee/new member will initially learn the basic technique required for the bow or prua position (front position rowing with oar to the left or port side) and subsequently advance to the stern or poppa position (rear-most position rowing with oar to the right or starboard side) which requires additional skill to be able to steer the boat while rowing and to ultimately operate the boat solo if desired - a bit like a gondolier. At the rear (poppa) position the oar is used for both propulsion and serves as a rudder depending on the angle of the blade. After initial training in both these key positions, a person would be able to undertake further practice solo or with other rowers in crews of 2 or 4 rowers depending on the availability of suitable boats to accommodate those rowers. An even more advanced form of Venetian rowing involves a single rower using two oars simultaneously (crossed) called valesana.
MEMBERSHIP
For further information about membership fees, contact Michael on 0415 448 657 or email michangpiovesan@gmail.com.
DONATIONS TO VAVA Inc.
Any prospective member who makes a donation to VAVA Inc. through the Australian Sports Foundation will receive a corresponding discount on their membership fees.
